When a King finds a Rose
by slyolddog
Summary: Rorey is a King, recruited by Jean-Baptiste to find Rose of Sharon Cassidy. M for language.


Rorey woke up, stretched his entire body, and rolled over. He hit the floor, with a sudden thud.

"OW!" he yelped, forgetting that they were staying in a shack with proper cots, not just a makeshift piece of cardboard on the ground.

Cass sat up in her cot, startled by the sound.

"The fuck, dude?" She said with a laugh. She gave a dramatic yawn and hopped out of bed. "It's way too damn early to be awake. I need a drink." She murmured, completely ignoring Rorey as he lay sprawled face first on the floor.

Finally, Rorey decided to get up. No sense lying on the floor all day, they had things to do and places to go. He walked into the bathroom, preparing to have a shower. The water was warm against his cool skin, and he began to think about how things were going to pan out. They were getting closer to Freeside, and the sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach was just getting worse.

Rorey was a member of the Kings. He had dreamed of being a King since he was a small child. Once he was old enough, he auditioned to be in the gang, and passed with flying colours. The King had even said how impressed he was with him. It was Rorey's proudest moment. He'd been milling around the North Gate of Freeside when a shady looking character in a dark hood had come up to him, and asked him if he wanted to make a whole load of caps.

Being broke, Rorey had jumped at the chance. The mission seemed simple enough – find a girl, take her to Jean-Baptiste at the Silver Rush. He knew Jean well, though they didn't get along so well. He was a complete asshole most of the time, and after he'd been drinking he would often try to start fights with the younger kings. Rorey stayed out of his way most of the time, though he had once made the mistake of getting in the way of Jean's fists. Luckily, the King had dealt with him fairly and swiftly.

Finding Rose of Sharon Cassidy had been easy. After asking around a few NCR Personnel, he had located her in the Mojave Outpost, drowning her sorrows in a never ending supply of whiskey. She had come across as a bit unfriendly, but after talking to her a few hours and buying her several drinks, he finally convinced her to come along with him to meet a friend of his. Surprisingly, she didn't seem that reluctant and had been tagging along with him the last couple of weeks.

Now, they were staying in the Monte Carlo suites, just a few miles away from Freeside, and they would probably reach the East Gate in a few hours.

Rorey sighed and shut off the water. He had grown so fond of Cass in their short time together. She had beautiful red hair hidden underneath a battered straw hat that she never seemed to take off. Her skin had a beautiful tan from baking underneath the harsh Mojave sun, and she always loved to tell him the story behind her necklace.

Yes, Rorey had fallen madly in love with the girl.

And now he had to betray her.

Rorey quickly shook the water from his hair, and wrapped a towel around his waist before exiting the bathroom.

The two headed out after a hearty meal of cram, and soon approached the Freeside gates. Cass wasn't much of a talker, so it surprised Rorey when she spoke.

"So, this Jean-Baptiste you're taking me to….. who is he?" she asked, looking over at him before taking a swig of whiskey.

"I don't really know. He works for the Silver Rush. Not even sure why he wanted to meet you." Rorey was being honest, to a point. There was no way he could tell her that he was leading her into a trap, she would kill him right then and there.

"I won't lie, I got an uneasy feeling about this." She drawled. Rorey stopped dead in his tracks. "What?" she asked, a little annoyed.

"I can't lie to you either, Cass. There's something I gotta tell you." He plopped down on the ground and threw his rifle beside him. "If you kill me for this, I deserve it." He took a deep breath in.

"I…. I was approached a while ago by a man who wanted me to bring you to Jean-Baptiste. I….I don't know the details. All I know is you won't be walking out of there, and I'll be walking out with a fistful of caps." He dared to look up at Cass, who was staring at him, mouth agape.

"You fucking wanker….." her eyes went dark, and her hands clenched down on her gun.

"Wait….wait!" Rorey begged. "I'm telling you this because…. Well because I'm in love with you." He stammered.

She just stared at him like he was high on chems.

"I don't want you to die. I don't want to lead you into a trap. I want to be with you instead….."

"I can't believe you would do this to me!" Her voice was high pitched. "I thought I loved you too…. But no. Not now."

Rorey felt like his heart had just been stomped on.

"I guess I'll go then." He got up, and picked up his rifle.

"Get the fuck away from me." She yelled after him, tears pouring down her cheeks.

That was the last Rorey ever saw of Rose of Sharon Cassidy. He knew she would be alright, but his heart never forgot the pain of losing someone he truly loved.


End file.
